At times I've been forced to do some transplants on a hot, sunny day and there are steps you can take to minimize the risk. Keep the transplant well watered: even twice a day initially if it's super hot. You can build a temporary, partial shade structure over the seedling for the first few days out of cardboard or newspaper to prevent the plant from getting full sun right away until it is stronger. Once again, timing is key.
I like to create a healthy environment in the transplant hole. I dig the soil to aerate it well at the transplant site. Remove a small shovelful of the garden soil and replace with a small shovelful of sand and another of well rotted cow manure, compost or top soil. I prefer the cow manure or compost to release nutrients slowly throughout the chile plant's development. The sand increases aeration and allows the roots to grow deep once you get into a regular watering cycle. I recommend burying a pack of matches (fanned out) a few inches below the roots to supply the plant with sulfur as it grows.
I've had great success with these tips. In our case we can lose a valuable crop and disappoint customers if we have crop failure so we work hard at this transplant step.
Chilehead Humor
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Farmer Joe grew the best dang Hot Peppers in the state of Mississippi.
Farmer Joe was suing a trucking company for injuries sustained in an accident. In court, the company's fancy lawyer was questioning Farmer Joe.
"Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?" asked the lawyer.
Farmer Joe responded, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into the..."
"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted. "Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?"
Farmer Joe continued, "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..."
The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman that he was just fine. Now, several months after the accident, he is suing my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
But the judge was interested in Farmer Joe's story and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his mule, Bessie."
